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Aedan Helmer, QMI Agency

Apr 27, 2014

, Last Updated: 8:20 PM ET

OTTAWA -- A 14-month-old girl is in serious but stable condition in hospital after she was bitten on the face by a pit bull that had attacked the child of its former owner a month ago, a family friend said.

Cali Leclair was playing happily in her Draffin Court home when all of a sudden she was attacked by a pit bull, its teeth tearing into the child's face and nearly severing her nose, leaving what paramedics would describe as "multiple severe lacerations."

The toddler was rushed to hospital with her mother Christine Leclair.

The injuries were not considered life-threatening, and according to a message sent to friends, Leclair was bedside all day as Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario surgeons worked on her daughter.

In a troubling twist, the pit bull -- a five-year-old male named Boss -- has a history of violence with young children, according to close friend Vicky Gibson, who witnessed the aftermath of the attack.

According to Gibson, Boss was taken into the home by Leclair on Saturday after she responded to a Facebook ad posted by the former owner.

According to the posting, the dog had bitten the owner's child about a month ago.

"I saw (the owner's daughter) just the other day, and her scar is still pretty fresh," said Gibson, tracing a line across her cheek.

"That dog needs to be shot in the f---ing head."

Hours after Sunday's attack, the dog's owner arrived at the Draffin Court home to pick up Boss and was followed home to Richmond by Ottawa bylaw officials.

No charges had been laid as of late Sunday and police would not reveal any information about the previous owner, but confirmed they are investigating the dog's history.

But Gibson, who was caring for Leclair's two other 5-year-old children -- one a foster child -- while she was in the hospital, knew enough about the dog's history to be "skeptical" with her own children around the animal.